


It's Not Right, Not OK

by DarchangelSkye



Series: He Will Be Loved [3]
Category: Adam Levine (Musician), Blake Shelton (Musician), Music RPF, Real Person Fiction, The Voice (US) RPF, The Voice RPF
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Escape, Flashbacks, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hugs, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, Self-Defense, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-15 10:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4604037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarchangelSkye/pseuds/DarchangelSkye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I've had enough."</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Not Right, Not OK

**Author's Note:**

> Yayy, promised I was gonna have this up this week, thanks for the patience and hits :) Am definitely planning one or two more stories for this series for the promised happy Shevine ending, but in the meantime for those of you who wanted to see Blake kick Kirk's ass, well, get your popcorn ready ;)

"You sure you're OK to do this by yourself?"

Blake wasn't referring to the way Adam was bustling around his kitchen nook this morning, but the way the younger man grinned when he looked over his shoulder he may as well have been.

"Trust me, Blake, I know what I'm doing. I got myself into this; I gotta do what I can to get out."

Blake sighed and took another long pull from his coffee cup. "Wasn't your fault."

"Hm?" Adam turned around again. 

"What Kirk's done to you, it wasn't your fault."

Adam said nothing, just went back to preparing breakfast for the both of him that was his thanks for the shelter and crying shoulder the other night. He still wasn't moving as quickly as usual (leaving Blake to keep wondering what the _hell_ Kirk had done with his back) but humming, talking random snippets to himself, and gesturing like writing his name in the air. There was the little oddball people had come to know and love, and god willing, he was coming back.

Soon Adam set a plate with eggs and hash browns with pepper slices in front of him and even gave his temple an air-kiss. "Eat up, big guy."

Blake had to smile. Damn, he'd even missed his friend's silly displays of affection.

Adam took the other side of the table with his own dish to eat quickly instead of savoring his food like he was wont to do. He had to get home (he'd repeatedly assured Blake that Kirk would be at his office by then), clean up and get into fresh clothes for the show, and start on removing all of Kirk's presence from his life. Was a hell of a risky move, but he was determined to do it himself...

He finished his plate before Blake was even halfway done and stood. "I'll see you at the studio, OK?" he asked and turned to head for the front door without waiting for an answer. 

Fortunately he paused and turned when Blake said, "Adam, wait." The little grin from earlier bloomed again when the older man took him in firm and gentle embrace. "Jus' be careful, alright?" God, he'd never meant that more in his life than now.

Blake heard his friend breathe in, then out, a sound so light as to be a sigh. "Don't worry, I will." He added one more squeeze to the hug before slipping out and Blake just stood still, not taking his eyesight off Adam until he completely walked out.

***

Adam still wasn't at the studio by the time Blake got there. Showing up late had become more of an occurrence, to the point Blake would hear the crew mutter unkind remarks about how much Adam had changed. Once upon a time he would have agreed with them...

His phone sat heavy in his pocket. Occasionally he'd take it out, touch Adam's name in the Contacts list, and start a _You OK?_ message, but was never able to hit Send. Somehow the constant checking-up-on-him felt like just another controlling Kirk would do... It also didn't help that Adam's message from the other night was still visible. 

_Need to come over. Don't ask questions yet just unlock the door._

Blake found himself thinking back on how this whole mess got started. Behati had barely been out of the picture for a couple months when Adam strolled into the studio with some tall, blond and buff dude on his arm, grinning like he'd won the lottery but still hadn't gotten the check yet. Needless to say, everyone was pretty surprised. 

In between takes, Adam would spill the information on his new beau in gushing tones: his name's Kirk, he works at a patenting office downtown, he _loves_ to surf, in fact they'd met at the beach when Adam was watching him come out of the water but he couldn't help it the guy was just so _sexy_ , his dad played a little guitar in the Eighties so he knows a lot about vintage models and just, wow, isn't he awesome? 

It was too obvious what Blake thought: this was just a rebound and sooner or later was gonna sour. Talk about hindsight being 20/20. But he just nodded to everything Adam said.

Of course the media had a field day at first; all the rag mags crowing that yep, they were right, Adam Levine does sleep with guys, the mainstream press also commenting on the rebound time and once again not understanding the concept of bisexuality, especially in men, and everyone in general trailing the new pair and sniffing about to see what dirt they could dig up. There was many a grainy picture that involved either Adam flipping off the camera or Kirk giving a death glare as he possessively held the singer closer. 

Again, damn hindsight. 

Blake wished he could pinpoint the exact day when things started going downhill, but it really was a slow and painful progression. First was Adam showing up later for things, at first with a blissful smile but then with an eerily blank expression. Then his mood started matching his face, fussing about whenever makeup or wardrobe people touched him, staying slumped in his chair and not even trying to crack jokes during taping. He was still able to coach, but the energy and light he'd brought to it before felt just sapped away. Critics and audiences noticed as well as ratings dipped and rumors flew about that the show was on its last legs.

His "bromantic" interaction with Blake even tapered off, and the older man didn't realize until then how much he really did get a smile out of Adam's hugs and stupid nicknames. All he got by way of explanation was, "Kirk doesn't like watching that," before Adam immediately changed the subject.

Then came the longer sleeves, red eyes, awkward steps, the excuses that he was fine, he was just tired, he and Kirk just had a little disagreement the other night (then another one, then another, and another...), everything's alright now, would everybody just please mind their own business?

But everybody has their breaking point. And it took Adam almost literally breaking for him to reach it.

Damn, it took so much self-control for Blake to keep his clenched hands in his pockets and not strike a wall. Otherwise he'd be no better than Kirk. And he really wanted to believe even he treated his friend better than that.

"Hey Grumpy Bear, what's with the long face?"

Blake snapped his head up to the source of the voice, and oh thank god. Adam did look much better for having fresh clothes (even if the sleeves were still long) and washed hair and that sunny smile. He couldn't open his arms fast enough when the younger man came in for a hug. He was solid and alive and here.

"Everything go OK?" he murmured and gently pat Adam's shoulder.

"Mm, yep," Adam squeezed his hug before relaxing. "All of Kirk's stuff is packed up and going over to his place, and the doors he had keys to are getting the locks changed. I'll get an alert if he tries breaking in."

Best first steps to take. Blake sighed in relief and pat again. "I'm proud of ya, Adam. This isn't easy for most people to do-"

"Yeah, well, I've never been most people." He looked to their feet as if in thought before casting his gaze to Blake again. "Thank you, y'know, for not judging me."

"Couldn't do that..." Even if he did feel a flush of shame to his face for not believing the worst earlier. When this was all done, he just knew he was going to apologize to Adam over and over.

"Don't feel bad, OK?" Adam patted his cheek and headed off towards makeup, and Blake stood there for a moment with a smile, touching the spot as if Adam had left one of his kisses there instead.

***

The day's taping went smoothly. In fact- and Blake almost didn't want to think it aloud, much less say it aloud for fear of jinxing- it almost was as smoothly as the earlier days, with the heavy atmosphere lifted from the studio and Adam's shoulders. Adam wasn't completely back to his pre-Kirk self, but little glimpses shot through that could be seen as hopeful. The first time he cracked a joke, Blake noticed his mouth twitch ever so slightly with the effort of a task forgotten. And when the audience laughed so did he, and it finally felt like sunshine.

During a break Adam even came over to his chair for another hug, and while the audience squeals could have blown off the roof, all Blake heard was the repeated murmurs of "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Later when everyone was doing autographs and pictures with the remaining crowd, every once in a while Blake would look over to Adam to see him shyly talking and mingling with people, a prisoner that had finally been allowed outside. It was beautiful, but also heart-wrenching to know _that_ was how badly Kirk had broken him down, or at least tried to. Adam had a fighting spirit underneath it all.

At one point there were murmurs from the edge of the crowd, but Blake didn't pay any mind to them until two girls spoke up.

"Awww, it's Adam's boyfriend!"

"Wait, what's he doing?"

The next moments seemed to happen in movie slow-motion with their surrealism. Blake turned to see Kirk stalking through the crowd like parting the Red Sea, but the burning look of pure anger on his face meant the fans weren't getting out of the way just to be polite.

"Adam!" For a moment he'd regret the rest of his life he couldn't move, just shout.

The warning came a second too late. Adam turned from where a guy and girl had been flanking him for a picture and pure disbelief and horror washed over his face. He tried putting his hands up to block, but Kirk's beefy fist barreled through to hit him in the cheek and send him stumbling backwards with a pained groan. There were screams of terror and more fans and crew rushing for the emergency exits.

The sight of his friend hitting the floor was enough to snap Blake out of his shock-induced paralysis. He felt his expression snarl into a deeper hatred than he'd ever felt towards anyone and charged towards Kirk, never minding the panicked cries going on all around him. Before Kirk could manage to get a kick into a still-down Adam's stomach, Blake grabbed at his arms to pull him back.

"Get the _fuck offa him_ , asshole!"

Kirk apparently paid the words no heed, just wrenched around within Blake's hold and yelled at Adam who was stumbling to get up. "You little bitch! What's the big idea throwing my stuff out of the house?!"

"Because it's _my_ house." Adam stood with a wince and cupped his red cheek. "It's over, Kirk."

Kirk growled and tried lunging forward, but Blake was able to lock his arm across the man's throat and got quite the satisfaction out of hearing him gurgle and flail.

"If anybody's the little bitch here, it's you," he said with low venom into Kirk's ear. "Somebody worships the ground you walk on an' you repay by treatin' them like garbage? People like you make me sick."

He felt the quick pain of a kick in the shin but kept his hold, meaning both of them hit the ground with most of Blake's weight atop. He didn't even care he felt the air rush out of his lungs on impact. He grabbed the back of Kirk's hair with another snarl and was ready to start slamming his face onto the floor out of pure adrenaline when he heard Adam call out, "Blake, that's enough!" and footsteps rushing over. Security, finally. Still, he didn't let go until the guards securely had the bastard pulled up.

"We're so sorry, Mr. Levine. We know you've let Mr. Saunders onto the set before, and we didn't think-"

"No, I didn't think he was gonna-" Adam shook his head and narrowed his eyes. Blake slowly got to his feet and watched the thick tension in the air. Adam was done blaming himself, he knew it. "He's not welcome here anymore. He's hit me, kicked me, yelled at me, and threatened me for months. I've had enough. I want a restraining order." Audible gasps arose from the remaining stragglers, and Kirk growled and tried to break free of the guards' hold with no success except in looking pathetic. 

"Get him the hell out of here," Blake said while massaging his kicked leg, and the guards didn't have to be told twice. He kept his eyes on Adam while the cursing and ranting figure was being led away. He saw the younger man had his arms wrapped around himself and the look of disbelief back on his face. And yet there was no terror, but the disbelief of pure wonder, like learning that miracles really can happen.

Which, he supposed, was rather true right now.

"I did it," Adam whispered.

Blake smiled and came over to his friend for a gentle embrace. Yep, he really _had_ missed these touches.

"Y'sure did."

***

The first aid crew looked the men over. Blake had sustained mild bruising to his joints from hitting the floor, and while Adam only had a red cheek this time they still wanted to take him to the hospital to examine older injuries and help build his case against Kirk. He looked bewildered for a moment, and Blake realized he'd never heard any stories of Adam visiting the ER before.

_Kirk, you bastard._

He felt Adam's gentle hand on his leg, just like in the early days. "You don't hafta come to the hospital with me, Blake. There'll be enough security."

"Was I that obvious?" He was surprised he was actually smiling after this mess, but then if Adam could...

"You think after working together this long I couldn't read your mug?"

No, he supposed not.

The two were left alone for a moment as arrangements were being made for Adam's hospital visit to have as much discretion as possible, and they were silent until he rest his head on Blake's shoulder and sighed.

"He wanted me to quit the show," his voice was quiet. "He didn't like me being 'all friendly-like' with you, thought I was flirting with the contestants, thought my ego was really blowing up, called my jokes stupid...I had to beg him to stay on if I toned everything down."

Of fucking course. Blake's hands shook with barely-controlled rage in his pockets again.

"I thought if I did that he'd calm down and not lash out so much, and he didn't for a bit, but then..." Adam's sigh was shallow, and Blake wondered what damage that monster had done to his ribs that'd gone unchecked. "The other night I had enough and was pleading like crazy. I told him I _needed_ my friendships, needed my old humor back or the ratings were really gonna plummet, and- well, you saw what he did." He swallowed with a wince. "I hate him. I'm so fucking stupid."

"Hey now," Blake's tone was firm but tender as he angled his head to look right in Adam's eyes. "You can't go on believin' that. He's the one who tricked you with his charm before showing his true colors. You're not stupid for wantin' somebody to love you."

Save for a flicker of the eyes, Adam gave no response to that and just sat still until Carson poked himself into the room. "Adam? They're ready to bring you to the hospital."

"OK, thanks." It was a slow progression to stand, a hand staying on Blake's leg...for support?

"You need a lift home?" Carson addressed Blake. 

"Nah, I'm good to drive."

Once Adam was standing he moved his hand away, but ducked enough to put a sweet kiss to Blake's temple- again, just like the old days. "I'll call when everything's done. Thank you so much," he whispered.

As he shuffled out of the room, Blake mused not just that he was watching Adam walk away for the third time that day, not just that he could finally watch it with relief, but also that he didn't need to touch the kiss mark this time as its presence still warmly lingered.

He smiled at knowing it was probably going to linger for a while.


End file.
